The BGN News Archive

It wasn't just a band it was the lineup of acts that attracted fans to Store 54 on Thursday. Opening was Jeri Cain Rossi who used to transfix people with the group Black Cat Bone, Monique Ortiz in Alien Knife Fight who also was riveting on stage a several years ago and Randy Black and the Heathcroppers who currently deliver an intense set as a matter of course.

   Jeri Cain Rossi did a solo set of just her and an electric guitar. Rossi is an artist's artist with a long history as not only a musician but a writer and a filmmaker. She's all dark and broody and knows how to tell us about it. At Store 54 she did her older songs and a couple covers. Though it was a sparse set and sound, that trademark intensity was all there for us to experience again.
   She currently lives in San Francisco and though she is happy there she told us she thought Boston had a better music scene. It would be better if she was here to contribute her sound to it I think.

   It's worth mentioning, coz it's just too weird, but a new Black Cat Bone played the very next night at Sally O Brien's. That BCB is Dave Barton's new band and has nothing to do with Jeri's band from back in the day. What are the odds of that happening? Rather strange.

   We have been thrilled by every show Randy Black and the Heathcroppers have done and tonight is right in line with those. He's working in one or two new songs every gig it seems. Tonight he covers Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. He throws us by putting down his guitar and singing with just bass and drums. He was out there on a limb and it was all bare nerves and feeling. Fantastic! Larry on drums and Matt on bass can't be beat for a supportive and creative backing. It was sparse but not empty sounding.

   And we know, we're like a broken record on this, but we have to go on about our favorite song and highlight again of the set; Sadness Comes in Waves. No other song I hear affects me so strongly as this one. They do the song a little different each time. The overall arrangement goes through its paces with plenty of variety in the actual note playing. Randy digs deep with the lyrics and Matt and Larry are responsive to the moment. It's a real tour de force. Unfortunately it's not recorded yet so you have to hear it live. Randy told us he gets a lot of feedback about the song and is often asked why it isn't on the band's CD. Hopefully next one!

   We were impressed the moment we saw Monique Ortiz as was Willie Alexander who helped us do a page on her (here) a few years back. In fact Willie came down from Gloucester to see this show also. Alien Knife Fight is Monique and her fiancé Mike Howard on drums and percussion - that's it, though back in Texas they have a few other members who join them from time to time. But this band sounds full and overflowing with energy. She played the first part of her set on a two string bass a la Mark Sandman. But she played it with a slide! She's lost none of her style. The minute she started singing it brought back the memory of all her qualities that we were impressed by years ago. The voice commands your attention as do the lyrics.

   Monique and Mike are based about 20 minutes from Austin in a little town called Creedmore. They've been playing together for several years now. Since they were making their way to Boston they decided to make this trip a mini-tour since and played a few gigs on the way up.

   Apple Betty seems like a new group to us but they've been around 10 years now too. How did that happen? They are low key garage rock and proud of it. They are not messy but raw. The bass player is very good. They fit the bill and the night perfectly. Bob knows how to put a night of music together.

   Wayne Viens said he usually doesn't do gigs during the summer but this week might change his mind. Not being a traditional club is a bit of a hindrance getting attention. It's a great experience coming down the stairs and into the low lit basement. You feel like you should give a password like at a speakeasy. It reminds me of other unusual clubs like the Bayside Bowl in Portland that the Beachcombovers have been playing. The Milky Way in JP also has a few lanes. The Cake Shop in NYC is a bakery/café upstairs and a club downstairs. In Cincinnati the Sudsy Malone was a club and a laundry. Back in the 60's Boston had the Psychedelic Supermarket that was in a parking garage and the original Boston Tea Party was in an old church. Give the Store 54 a visit. You can rock and buy LP' and vintage clothing too. The space is also great for socializing since the volume, usually is loud enough to get into the music but not so loud that you can't talk to people at the other end of the store. Really great place in so many ways.

   Don't forget to check out Kenne Highland At Large as he goes rambles on about the upcoming Gizmos show and other odd delights that make up the life of Kenne Highland.

   And here's a great article on Vanyaland about Independent Booking Agents in town...also from Vanyaland some good news (we hope) about the old Radio space: "It appears the space that once housed Somerville rock club Radio may still have a live music future. Eater has a blurb this morning about how a business called Thunder Road is seeking a full liquor license for 379 Somerville Ave., the Union Square location of the former Radio music venue. The date of the hearing, Vanyaland has learned, is August 18 at Somerville City Hall."

   And some information at The Harvard Film Archive about Arthur Freedman and his video collection which is now housed there. Check out the list of videos he's got there. Now if they could be accessed it would be fantastic!!

   So what's comin' up for gigs?....

   Friday August 15th there's a good show at The MiddleEast UP with Goddamn Draculas, Gozu, Await Rescue, Interrobang, and Replacement Friends then on Saturday the 16th there's Uzuhi
The Radicals (Record Release), The Pity Whores, Tensor, and Loser's Circle upstairs also!!

   There's alot going on on Saturday August 16th. There's a double Boston's Burning show at The Midway. Here's the info:
   Show 1: 4pm - (All Ages)
Burning Streets, Cry Havoc, The Warning Shots, The Old Edison, Quiggs...and Time and Place playing in the pit between sets
$10 or $16 for a pass to both shows
   Show 2 - 9pm - (21+) with
Blood Stained Brindle (comeback show), Stray Bullets, Duck & Cover, Civil Decay, Art Thieves....and Time and Place playing in the pit between sets - $10 or $16 for a pass to both shows

   and check it out Duck & Cover is streaming their debut EP (links below), vinyl release in the fall: on bandcamp here and on SoundCloud here

   The New England Zine Fest is comin' up on Saturday August 16th. It's presented by Boston Hassle at its at The Cambridge YMCA in Central Square. They'll be workshops, skillshares and table upon table of zines! It's 1-6PM.

   Saturday August 16th over in Allston O'Brien's has The FU's, MOTO, Round Eye and Daikaidju (sounds like a wild show!!)

   Friday August 22nd there's a great show at the Midway with Muck And The Mires, Watts, The Electric Mess (from NYC) The Black Cheers!

   On Saturday August 23rd start the afternoon off with Brian Young and Crash Course for the Ravers Show with his special guest this day being Willie "Loco" Alexander!! (WMFO 91.5PM 1-4PM)

   It's Hixxmas in August folks! On August 23rd at Club Bohemia at The Cantab it's Hixx and Psychic Dog and more bands TBA...

   August 29th has a good show at Church with Petty Morals, Tigerman WOAH, When Particles Collide and Miss Geo.

   This should be an interesting evening...at The Cantab August 30th....The Sound Down Cellar, Nelson Slater (tentative), Annie Activator and the once a year gig by Love & Flame featuring Danny Rybar, Lady Carolyn and Joe Viglione along with Mike Quirk on bass, Kenne Highland on guitar. (they are on at 9:30) and The Guns of Brighton

   Tuesday Sept 2 there's a punk show at The Middle East UP with Bishops Green, Hammer and the Nails, For the Worse, Yellow Stitches, The Damn Garrison *NOTE: its a slightly earlier than usual show with 7:00 PM Doors

   Thursday Sept 5 at Tavern at the End of the World is the return of KURT BAKER! This should be a great show - his only 2014 appearance in Boston, it was cancelled and is now back on.....and its a great bill all around with The Kurt Baker Band (11:30) The Connection (10:30) and The Dirty Truckers (9:30) . Get there early folks!!

   Please put this on your calendar and go folks- Sept 4 at TT the Bears, it's Viva La Eva Dos...another benefit for Eva Lipton you was in a horrible car crash and remains in a rehab facility....please go...on the bill are Joe Queer & Friends, The Dogmatics, The Downbeat 5, Classic Ruins, Parlour Bells, Moose & The Mudbugs, and Sonomatics ...see you there!!

   We finally get to see Dave Minehan with The Replacements since they are on the bill for the Boston Calling Show September (5,6 & 7)!

   But also put this on your calendar: At O'Brien's on Friday Sept 5...It's Fri Lisa & Malibu's 10 Year Anniversary Rock Off!!! Featuring: The Kurt Baker Band, The Connection, Tom Baker & The Golden Shower Band (Members of The Dirty Truckers & Watts)and ZipGun Bomber

   And you definitely want to hit this show: Richie Parsons performing his Honey & Tears songs along with The Dictators NYC on September 5th at the Middle East down. Kim Ackland posted on Facebook about this "NYC" version: "No Top Ten, it's a new band with Dick, Thunderbolt, Ross, Daniel REY from Shrapnel ROCKS and Dean Rispler, as Ross said "the best bass player on the planet". They're awesome" ...and You can download Honey and Tears from iTunes for one.....or Bandcamp.....where you can download or order the CD or the vinyl! or hunt Richie down and buy one from him. Or you can get one at this gig if you can wait that long.

   Oh yeah on Tuesday September 9th at the Midway Brian Young hosts a show with Johnny & The Hartebreakers, The Classic Ruins and Tsunami of Sound....so um, this "Johnny and The Hartebreakers" better be good......or Mr. Harte may say "Who needs you" and I hope they make me shake out of control.

   Crash Safely is coming up in September/October - night #1 is at The Midway on Saturday September 27th with Pete Donnelly, Pete Hayes and John Powhida (Aka The Petes), Watts, Gene Dante and The Future Starlets, The I Want You and As The Sparrow

   The Legendary Shake Shakers are coming to the Middle East down September 12th.

   Saturday September 13th is Matt Burns' 60th Birthday Party! He's celebrating at The Lizard Lounge. So far the bill includes Litehouse, The Handymen, Kenne Highland, and more bands to come.....

   There's also a excellent show at The Midway on Sept 13. Cal Cali brings us Lyres-Nervous Eaters-Cal Cali Band- The Invaders (Les Envahisseurs-from Quebec) - whew!!!

   50 Years of Boston Rock, WMBR's Pipeline's 25 year Anniversary is coming up!!! It's at various venues in Boston, Cambridge, Brighton, Somerville and Arlington. Specifically it's going to be 13 shows featuring close to 80 reunited Boston-area bands performing at 5 venues over 5 weekends from September 12 to October 12 - at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, The Middle East downstairs in Cambridge, the Brighton Music Hall, the Regent Theatre in Arlington, and Cuisine en Locale in Somerville, a new ballroom-like space with a capacity of 425.!! So get ready now. (There are current plans to add a 14th night to the series) Tickets are now available at all venues!

    Click to see the insanely long list of line ups HERE.

   And because we love you here's links to all the clubs to purchase tix:
   CUISINE EN LOCALE in Somerville (Sep 13, 19, 20, Oct 10, 11)
Sept 13th (these are all links to tix) who's playing on the 13th: Baby's Arm, Berlin Airlift, The Dogmatics, The Neats' Eric Martin & friends, Stranglehold, The Turbines - wow!!
Sept 19
Sept 20
Oct 10
    Oct 11
   REGENT THEATRE in Arlington (Sep 12, 26, 27)
Sept 12
Sept 26
Sept 27 Who's playing on the 27th: Barry & The Remains, Cardinal, The Downbeat 5
    MIDDLE EAST RESTAURANT DOWNSTAIRS in Cambridge (Oct 3, 4, 12)
10/3: Who's playing on Oct 3: The Blood Oranges, The Bristols, Buttercup, Fuzzy, Lazy Susan, Robin Lane and The Chartbusters, Tacklebox
Oct 4
Oct 12 Who's playing on the 12th: The Bags, Ed's Redeeming Qualities & The Breeders' Carrie Bradley & friends, The Gizmos (original line up), Kenny Chambers / Electric Ears, The Underachievers, The Voodoo Dolls
    BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL (Sep 28)
Who's playing on Sept 28: Anastasia Screamed, The Flies, The F.U.'s / Straw Dogs, Men & Volts, The Nervous Eaters, + 2 TBA
    PARADISE ROCK CLUB in Boston (Oct 5)
Who's playing Oct 5: Big City Rockers (Atlantics), The Charms, The Dents, High Risk Group, Reddy Teddy, Shake the Faith, Willie Alexander & The Boom Boom Band
   whew!!!!!!!!!! what an amazing event this will be Congratulations and THANK YOU! Bob Dubrow for all your work on this!!

   And at TT's in September there's a couple great shows coming up - Sunday Sept 21 is Queerstock 2014 with Gunpowder Gelatine, Thalia Zedek, The Kitchenettes and Fur Purse and to finish off the week on a definite , awesome actually, punk note Friday the 26th they have The Angry Samoans, Reagan Youth, Burning Streets and The Welsh Boys opening the night.

   The Rat Beach Party set for September 27th& 28th you get all the info on their Facebook page

   September 14th -a Sunday daytime show- at the Midway will bring us The Members!!

   And September 22nd at the Middle East up is a great show with Shonen Knife and Petty Morals.

   October 5th - a Sunday daytime show at The Midway will bring us The Vibrators!!!

   Friday October 10 is Night 2 for Crash Safely Benefit this one's at the Midway again...and there's a great line up with Petty Morals, Gymnasium, Tsunami of Sound and My Own Worst Enemy.

   Friday October 17th is Night 3 of Crash Safely Benefit...this time its at the Middle East Up and wow, the line up again is killer with Township, White Dynomite, The Field Effect, Triple Thick and Animal Hospital!!

   The Damned are touring this Fall with TSOL. They are playing Halloween in NYC but playing Boston on Saturday October 25th at the Royale...tix here....

   CONTACT US AT.......misslynbg@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your news and anything else ya got!!

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